CONCLUSIONES Y SUGERENCIAS Tanto los alumnos como la profesora coin-

A researcher can use different research methods depending on their appropriateness to the research he plans to conduct. These different research methods can be quantitative methods, qualitative methods, both or together with others methods such as personal reflection methods.

3.2.1. Quantitative Research Methods

Quantitative research is described by the terms „empiricism‟ and „positivism‟ (Bryman and Bell, 2003). It derives from the scientific method used in the physical sciences (Cormack, 1991). It describes, tests, and examines cause and effect relationships (Yin, 1994), using a deductive process of knowledge attainment (Bryman and Bell, 2003).

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Quantitative methods involve the use of survey, observation and questionnaire (Board of Studies New South Wales [NSW], 1999) which enable data (concrete or conceptual) to be collected, measured and compared with a standard.

A survey is a method which uses different techniques such as observation, interview or a written list of questions called a questionnaire. Surveying is the process of conducting a study from representative samples of specific populations. If a questionnaire is used, it may be comprised entirely of closed questions, multiple-response questions, Lickett scale questions (differential sliding scale or rating scale questions) or open-ended questions, or may be a combination of all question styles.

A questionnaire is a technique for collecting data beyond the physical reach of the researcher, that is, from a large or diverse sample of people. It is an impersonal instrument for collecting information and must, therefore, contain clear questions, worded as simply as possible to avoid any confusion or ambiguity since the researcher probably will not be present to explain what was meant by any one particular question. The questionnaire should be designed to fulfill a specific research objective; it should be brief and the sequence of the questions logical. (Board of Studies NSW, 1999)

3.2.2. Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative methodologies involve a phenomenological perspective whereby researchers aim to understand, report, and evaluate the meaning of events for people in particular situations, that is, how their social world is structured by the participants in it. The focus of qualitative methodologies is the way in which participants (rather than the researcher) interpret their experiences and construct reality. Some examples are an unstructured interview, focus group, open-ended questionnaire and participant observation. Qualitative methodologies include interview, participant observation, ethnographic studies, and focus group. (Board of Studies NSW, 1999)

3.2.3. Personal Reflection Research Method

Finally there is the personal reflection research methodology which requires the researcher to reflect upon, and evaluate, his own experiences, memories, values and opinions in relation to a specific issue or topic. (Board of Studies NSW, 1999)

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3.3 Data Collection

The methodology adopted for this research was a combination of quantitative, qualitative and personally reflective research methods. For the quantitative method, questionnaires were designed to collect data on the non-financial performance of the selected banks using BSC as frame work. The officers of the banks that were selected for unstructured interview on general of their banks were the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and the Head of Human Resources. The reason for selecting these three categories of staff is because they are directly responsible for formulating and implementing strategies, policies and guidelines in connection with the bank‟s financial performance, training and human resource development, and operational procedures and guidelines. This was then followed with a customer and employee survey of the selected banks to collect data on the non-financial performance based on the customer, internal process, and learning and growth perspectives in order to calculate them for the purpose of analysis. This was most specifically targeted at collecting data on metrics under customer perspective, the internal business processes and, learning and growth perspectives.

As it has already been stated in the background of the study and statement of the problem, the researcher did not come across with a well documented study in the areas of the usage of BSC and the extent to which BSC could/will assist commercial banks in Ethiopia in assessing their performance. In such situations, making conclusions and analysis through empirical evidence using personal reflective research methodology and interviewing of professionals within the banking sector in Ethiopia is inevitable.

When some wants to collect data on balanced scorecard for an organization, he must consider the four perspectives of BSC (financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business processes and learning & growth perspectives) in addition to the main strategic objectives, target and goals of the organization for other various perspectives.

Under each KPI, the organization must select metrics that will align business performance to its strategic objectives and vision. The authors of the model suggested that companies must keep these metrics very simple and that a reasonable number will be about 5-6 metrics under each KPI. The standard KPI are not exhaustive and companies can therefore add or vary this KPI to reflect their unique situation or circumstance. Therefore throughout this study a small number of metrics will be considered in data gathering and the analysis.

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3.4 Formulae for Calculating Metrics

Customer satisfaction index (CSI), customer intention (CII), internal process performance indices, employees satisfaction index, system result and organization result indices were calculated from a given sample of customers, employees and managers by computing the average of those customers‟ and employees perception ratings based on a five-point scale ranging from “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied”, or “very probable to very improbable”. Customer retention can be deduced from the formula, Customer Life (N), (Given rate of customer retention): N = 1 / (1 – CR); Where, CR stands for customer retention. From the above formula, Customer retention (CR), (Given average customer life): CR = 1 – 1/N.

3.5 The Size and Characteristics of Selected Sample

A population is the whole group that the research focuses on (Jacobsen, 2002). Sample is the segment of the population that is selected for investigation (Bryman and Bell, 2003). In quantitative research, the need to sample is one that is almost invariably encountered. And sampling constitutes a key step in the research process in social survey research.

Due to the research is studied mainly from customers‟ and employees point of view, the population was expected to involve the people who are consuming the banking services from Ethiopian commercial banks and their employees. However, it is not possible for researchers to get in touch with a big number of samples, as the sample size is a critical question in practice. The decision about the size of the sample needs to consider about time and cost, the need of precision, and a variety of further considerations (Bryman and Bell, 2003). Due to the limit of time and costs, the sample was limited to the customers, employees and managers of commercial banks who were voluntary to give the necessary data to the study on hand. The study used quota sampling and convenience sampling techniques to select customers, employees and managers due to the constraint of time and cost, hard to reach nature of population (that is the number of the customers is very large hence it is very difficult to take probability sampling due time and cost constraint, very large and scattered population, most customers and employees were not as such voluntary to fill the questionnaire due to pretext of time shortage and the shop-mailing nature of the banking service.

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The population size was all commercial banks that have already started their banking operation in Ethiopia and four voluntary commercial banks, which allowed the researcher to get the necessary information for the study at hand, were used as sample size, given the timeframe for the completion of the thesis. The four selected commercial banks were Commercial bank of Ethiopia, Wegagen Bank, United Bank, and Dashen Bank. A total of 12 senior management staffs of the selected banks were interviewed. These are officers in the category of executive management that are responsible for the bank‟s strategy formulation and execution. A total of 120 employees(30 employees from each bank) were also made to rate their satisfaction level on payment policy and working condition of the selected banks as well as participation and social relationship of the employees of the selected banks via the questionnaires distributed to the them.

Data was collected both from primary and secondary sources. The data from the primary sources was collected from the selected banks through the filling of the questionnaires that concentrated on the internal processes, learning and growth perspectives and customer satisfaction. The secondary sources were the banks‟ published annual reports. The customers of these selected commercial banks were made to fill the questionnaires by taking a sample size of 240 with 60 customers from each commercial bank.

With learning and growth perspective, the metrics of employee satisfaction in terms of pay policy, working condition, social relationship, and participation were considered.

3.6 Coding

For ease of presentation and data analysis, the various questions on the questionnaire were coded. The customer satisfaction survey had Q1…Q12 representing questions 1 to 12 on the questionnaire. The respondents had C1…C60 where C1 represents the first respondent and so on. The employee survey was coded as q1…q20 and E1...E30; where E1 represent the first employee who responded to the questionnaire and q1 represent the first question on the questionnaire.